To a film placement apparatus for placing a tubular film such as a shrink label around the outer periphery of the body of, for example, a jar or a bottle, generally, a tubular film (label) having a predetermined length formed by cutting a sheet-like folded, long strip-like tubular film is sequentially supplied. Thus, to such a film placement apparatus, a film opener is mounted so as to open the tubular film having the predetermined length supplied so as to be sheet-like folded.
Examples of such a film opener include the one shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, a film opener 90 includes: a pair of openable and closable swinging arms 91, 91; and opening-and-closing driving means 95 that opens and closes the swinging arms 91, 91. The swinging arms 91, 91 include, at their respective ends, gripping sections 92, 92 that grip a film F supplied so as to be sheet-like folded.
The gripping sections 92, 92 include: base sections 93, 93 having a common suction passage formed therein and connected to suction means not shown in the figures; and a plurality of gripping arms 94, 94 connected to the upper and lower portions of the base sections 93, 93 so as to grip the vicinities of the respective ends of various types of films F different in length. The gripping arms 94, 94 have suction holes 94a, 94a formed on their respective gripping surfaces, the suction holes 94a, 94a communicated with the common suction passage of the base sections 93, 93 via individual suction passages.
Therefore, the film F supplied so as to be sheet-like folded is received as a result of the gripping sections 92, 92 of the swinging arms 91, 91 gripping the film F as shown in FIG. 22 (a). Subsequently, the film F is opened into a tube as shown in FIG. 22 (b) by opening the swinging arms 91, 91, with the gripping arms 94, 94 holding the respective sides of the film F by suction by operating the suction means, to separate both sides of the film F from each other.    [PATENT LITERATURE 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 60-220733    [PATENT LITERATURE 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-237750